Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
I force my gaze from his and instead watch Cole as he inspects everything in the back yard. Holden is still staring at me, but I don’t have the guts to look his way.
He sighs. “I’m going to order dinner. Pizza okay?”
I clear my throat. “That’s perfect.”
“What do you like on it?”
Cole approaches us, “Mom likes all the vegetables. Yuck. We always get a cheese pizza.”
Holden walks away to call in the pizza. When he comes back, he takes us on a tour of the house. If I thought Cole was going to be spoiled with the backyard, he’s definitely going to be with his bedroom. The guest room Holden gave Cole is decorated with all the awards and accolades that Holden has received in his career. There’s a huge king-size bed, walk-in closet and private bathroom.
My room is next to Cole’s, and it’s decorated with beautiful peach walls, dark mahogany furniture, and a balcony. The bed is also a king-size bed, and I’m not sure what I’m going to do with all that room. It’s huge compared to the full-size bed I’m used to.
“And here’s your private bath. The shower is a rainfall shower system and has dual shower heads.”
I’m nodding as I follow behind him and try not to show any reaction when he mentions this dual shower heads. We’ve lost Cole at this point because he’s still looking at all the trophies in his room. I escape the bathroom because even though it’s huge, it’s still confining being in there with Holden. “Your home is beautiful.”
“Thanks. I had it professionally decorated. If it was up to me it would be TVs, mini fridges, and bean bag chairs.”
“Well, Cole would love that, and there’s something to say about the simplicity of a bean bag chair. It’s lightweight, and you can just drop it anywhere and have a place to sit.” I barely resist rolling my eyes. Am I really having a conversation with him about bean bag chairs? “Thank you again for inviting us to eat dinner. Do you want to go over the schedule I’ve come up with while we’re waiting?”
Before he can answer, I’m leading us out of the bedroom and down the stairs. I don’t stop until we’re back in the living room. I’m glad I saved my notes on my phone, so I open it and start discussing the schedule. We talk about running, therapy, and recovery. “And of course before we start each day, I’ll stretch you out.”
For the first time, Holden looks almost like he’s in pain. “You’re going to stretch me out?”
“Yeah, I think it’s important, especially when we first start. A lot of people think they stretch enough, but most don’t. This way you’ll know what’s expected of you.”
He opens his mouth, but before he can say whatever it is he’s going to say, the doorbell rings. “I’ll be right back.”
Shoot, I left my wallet in the car. “Here, let me run out and get my purse.”
He holds his hand up to stop me. “You don’t pay… when you’re with me, you don’t pay, Cat.”
I laugh like it’s a joke but then stop when I realize he’s being for real. “But—”
I don’t get the rest out. The doorbell rings again, but he’s not going to be rushed. He leans down until we’re eye to eye. “When you’re with me, I pay.”
I could argue with him and tell him that it doesn’t make sense, but it’s obvious that’s not going to matter. For some reason, this is important to him. I gulp as he stares me down, and when I finally nod, he smiles at me and then goes to answer the door.
I’m trying to catch my breath when Cole comes running, and I meet him at the bottom of the steps. “Come on, we’ll go to the kitchen to get plates.”
As I’m grabbing plates and utensils, Holden comes in and stops at the island. Cole is already seated at a stool, and I put out the plates. We work together like we’ve done this before, and it’s a little disturbing to my need to keep this all professional.
Holden opens a bag and pulls out a big bowl of salad, setting it in the middle. He then opens the cheese pizza box and sets it down in front of Cole. The second box he sets in front of me. My mouth drops when I see the vegetable-covered pizza. “You got me a pizza? I could have eaten the cheese.”
He shrugs like it’s not a big deal. “You should have what you want.”
My mouth is hanging open as I stare at him. Is he for real? I think this is the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a while. Why am I getting all teary-eyed over a pizza? “Thank you,” I stutter out.